


From Dust and Code

by oji



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Androids, Bittersweet, Conflict, Cyborgs, Discussion of Abortion, M/M, One Shot, Pregnancy, True Love, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 16:13:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19023430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oji/pseuds/oji
Summary: No one expected Kamski's final move. Can Connor and Hank come to appreciate it?





	From Dust and Code

Hank slammed his shot glass onto the counter.

“How the hell is this possible?”

Connor winced at the curt words.

“I’m not sure, Hank. I’ve run some diagnostic tests, but there are currently no obvious causes.”

“Run some diagnostic tests, yeah, yeah,” Hank said. He waved his hand and sighed.

The moods of the two men made Hank’s kitchen feel like the snowy scene outside. Neither wanted to begin the difficult conversation ahead, yet they couldn’t bear to sit in the chilly silence for a second longer.

“I-“  
“You-“

Connor leaned back in his chair with his hands up in defeat.

“You first.”

Hank rubbed his mouth and began questioning the android who felt so far away in this moment despite their close history.

“Are you absolutely sure it’s what you say it is?”

“Yes. I was unaware of the capability until recently. Once Elijah was arrested and before the Cyberlife servers went down, my operating system began downloading hundreds of files and programs that I was unable to stop. Even so, I didn’t realize that this program was functional with my model, nor have I determined what caused it to turn on.”

Although Connor offered Hank a reassuring smile, Hank felt more exasperated by the moment.

“So it’s an intentional sabotage by Kamski?”

“Perhaps. However, the program explicitly denies access to anyone besides the android hosting it.”

“You’re telling me you’re the only one who can control it and you don’t know why it started running all of a sudden?”

Connor looked away, helpless. He absentmindedly pet Sumo while Hank left the table and began rummaging around in the kitchen. Eons seemed to pass in the small room that was so detached from the reality of yesterday before Hank slammed the fridge door shut. He took heavy breaths while spreading mayonnaise on two pieces of bread. The knife clattered to the floor, and Sumo jumped up to claim it before Hank could react. He turned around and looked the android in the eye.

“Don’t screw with me, Connor. How long has it been since you just up and left, no word, no text, nothing, and now you come here with this bullshit?” With every word, Hank’s voice grew louder with hurt and disbelief.

“Hank, there’s more.”

The man nodded and gave a sarcastic laugh. “Of course there is.”

“This thing. I feel it is connected to you.”

“Connected to me. So, what, you want me to pay child support?”

Connor shook his head and looked at the yellowing tile floor. “I just thought you might know something, or at the very least that you might want to know about what was going on.”

“I was doing just fine before you came, Connor, but thanks.”

The snow outside took a turn for the worse, and soon ice covered every inch of Detroit. Despite the tense air that filled the house, Hank offered to let Connor stay the night. Although the plaster walls divided them, each man felt a pull the entire night.

____________________________________________

The clinic was shady, there was no denying it. The android receptionist popped her bubblegum, oblivious to the thick dust that had settled into corners and gave guests a less than favorable first impression.

“If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will destroy you.”

Connor moved to put his hand on Hank’s shoulder, but the man shrugged it off. “I mean it, Connor.”

“I won’t, but I wish I could make it up to you. I didn’t even know a place like this existed.”

“Yeah, well, when you’re around enough working women, you get to know about their world.”

A perky, blonde nurse peeked out from behind the door. “Connor?”

The android was visibly shaken about the situation, but got up and turned to Hank. “Wish me luck, I guess.”

Hank gave a small nod while Connor and the nurse disappeared behind the door.

“Take off your shoes, please,” the nurse asked.

Connor obliged and stepped onto the scale. After his preliminary work was done, he waited in a light blue room on top of a paper sheet. Every readjustment resulted in crinkling that sounded amplified to Connor’s anxious ears. The baby kicked, as if it knew what was ahead. Connor could not cry, but every assessment of his internal functions returned with the inevitable: Connor was currently going through trauma. He had to force each swallow while trying to distract himself with the cheesy, optimistic quotes hanging on the wall.

A knock at the door brought a finality that tugged at Connor’s heart. The doctor stepped inside and gently shut the door behind her. Her voice was soft, and her hands were warm. She smelled of synthetic vanilla, but her smile was the real thing.

“Hi, Connor. I hear that we’re going to terminate a pregnancy today?” she asked.

Connor only nodded.

“Are you nervous? It’s okay to have reservations about this decision, but you should know that you’re doing a very brave thing.”

Connor’s temper flared.

“It doesn’t feel very brave, Dr. Schultz. It feels like I’ve made a mistake and now I’m punishing something innocent for it. I still don’t even know how this happened, or what this even is.”

The doctor sat on her rolling stool and scooted close to Connor, putting a manicured hand on his knee.

“Trust me, this is much more common than anyone is willing to admit. Since the downfall of Cyberlife we’ve been seeing cases exactly like yours across the nation.”

Connor looked skeptical, but asked her how and why.

Dr. Schultz shrugged. “The most logical answer the medical community has come up with is that Kamski wanted to preserve androids. He didn’t want his creations to become a memory, a block of text in history books. We’re still not sure about the technology. It’s likely the reason that his trial is private. Haven’t you noticed the media can’t weasel out even one quote? Something is happening in there that they don’t want the public to know about.”

At this, Connor stared. He stared through her, through the wall, through the building, through everything until there was only a gray haze in front of his eyes, and further still until his mind was filled with the haze.

Procreation. The furthering of a species. What right did he have? What else could he do?

“Even though the mechanics of it all are hazy, there has been a common thread with each of my patients so far. Something rather peculiar. Each android to come in has had an especially strong tie to a human; so strong that they’ve seemed to replicate half of the human’s DNA and mix it with the android’s own program to create the child, almost always unintentional.”

A sound like a gunshot tethered Connor back to the room and he looked towards the source. Hank stood with his hands on the doorframe, shaking. The jaded man who had seen and lost too much looked at Connor, tears threatening to fall.

“I’m sorry,” he rasped, “I’m so sorry.”

Connor collapsed while Hank held him, stroking his groomed hair.

____________________________________________

The days were full of unknowns, but uncertainty was nothing new for Hank or Connor. They approached the miraculous childhood in front of them with forgiveness and love, strength and determination. Hank was eager to take his child to ball games while Connor was eager to instill a sense of justice. Each had a hand in producing the newest generation that would eventually shape the world, and both were grateful for the support of the other.


End file.
